


From Friendship, Love

by GemmaRose



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Dates, Flowers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 15:37:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13080003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: They've gone out dozens of times before, but now it's different; now it's adate.





	From Friendship, Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rumpledvelvet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumpledvelvet/gifts).



To say Keith was nervous would be an understatement. No, not just an understatement, the understatement of the _century_. He tightened his grip, plastic crinkling in his hands, and quickly relaxed his fingers for the sixteenth time in the last five minutes. A cursory check assured him the stems weren’t damaged, and he looked down the street again. Maybe he should text and make sure he hadn’t gotten wrapped up in a project? No, no, Pidge had already sent him a string of emojis which roughly translated to ‘he’s out the door, have fun’ just as he was clocking out.

He pulled out his phone anyways, but had barely woken the screen to look at the time when a honked horn made him startle. He looked up, and quickly threw a hand in front of his eyes to shield them from the glare of headlights. Or, headlight, singular. He blinked, then his jaw dropped as a familiar engine came to an idle at the curb in front of him.

“Are you seriously picking me up _on my own bike_?”

Hunk chuckled, pulling off Keith’s spare helmet and resting it against his side. “Sorry?” he grinned sheepishly, and Keith shook his head with a breathless little laugh.

“You’re refilling the tank.” he said, popping open the little trunk and pulling out his own helmet. After a moment of thought, he tucked the bouquet in the newly empty storage space. It’d be safer there than in his hand, at least while they were moving.

“Figured as much.” Hunk pulled the spare helmet back on, and Keith straddled the bike behind him. It was weird, not having his hands on the handlebars as they pulled out of the parking lane and started towards the end of the block.

“You said you had a plan, so...” Keith trailed off as they came to a halt at the stop sign.

“You’ll see~” Hunk sang, and Keith buried his face in the back of his jacket. Or, well, he did that as much as he could while wearing his helmet. The visor and hard protective shell did kinda put a damper on the situation’s romantic-ness. They stopped sooner than he expected, and he looked around to see a vaguely familiar string of storefronts.

“The strip?” he asked skeptically. Hunk had never been quiet about his disdain for what he called ‘architectural pustules’, and yet he’d brought them to only one in town for their first proper date?

“Just because it’s the most banal form of architecture on the planet doesn’t mean there’s no worth in the businesses.” he admitted, pulling off his helmet as Keith slid off the bike and opened the trunk. “There’s a little hole in the wall Indian place here. It’s where I get that kulcha you punched Lance over once.”

Keith felt his cheeks heat at the memory, and then heat more as Hunk laughed. Dammit, why did his boyfriend have to be so damn _cute_? He pulled the bouquet from the back of his bike, and deposited his helmet in the empty space left behind. Hunk tossed the spare in after, and Keith snapped the lid shut.

“So, whatcha got there?” Hunk asked, and Keith looked from the plastic printed with his workplace’s logo to his boyfriend. His boyfriend who was halfway through college for architectural engineering, and could rebuild an appliance from scratch just as fast as Pidge could program personality into a roomba.

“I work in a flower shop, and this is our first date.” he said flatly, holding up the bouquet. “Take a wild guess.”

Hunk’s eyes widened, and when Keith remembered to actually hold out the bouquet he took it almost reverently. The plastic crinkled loudly as Hunk pulled the flowers out, and Keith admired the bouquet a second time. Pale yellow carnations, more vibrant daisies, some marigolds, and a handful of the two-toned roses Hunk had been so taken with the first day he came in. Nothing too fancy, even with an employee discount he was still buying a handmade bouquet on a minimum wage budget, but the way Hunk was staring it may as well have been one of the super fancy arrangements put together by his boss.

“Do you like it?” he prodded, and Hunk’s face split in a beaming grin.

“I love it!” He threw his arms around Keith, pulling him into a hug. “I’m gonna...” he pulled away with a slight frown. “I’m gonna have to buy a vase.” he muttered, and it was Keith’s turn to laugh.

“Well, we are at the strip.” he gestured to the string of brightly illuminated storefronts, and Hunk shook his head.

“After dinner.” he pulled away, and took Keith’s hand in his free one. “Banerjee’s is the best, but their takeout menu is pretty limited and there’s a dish or two they only do in-house that I think you’ll _love_.”

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Keith stepped up next to Hunk. “Do we have a reservation?”

“Nah, I didn’t wanna make you wait for dinner when you just finished closing, but I’m best friends with one of the waitresses.” Hunk smiled, bright as sunshine as the warm light from the restaurant’s windows washed over him. “She promised to hold one of the best booths for us unless the place got _packed_ packed.”

Keith felt his cheeks warm a little as Hunk pulled the door open and gestured for him to enter. Even after a solid year of being friends, and god only knew how many months of not-quite-dating, it still surprised him a little every time Hunk held the door for him. In a good way, though. He took Hunk’s hand as the door swung shut behind them, and looked around the restaurant.

Cozy was the word that immediately sprang to mind. One wall was taken up with a massive painting of a crystal-studded cave, and the other three were decorated with a desaturated green wallpaper that had long, curling golden designs running down it between the wall-mounted lights. The tablecloths and seat cushions were a more vibrant green, with dark wood and shiny gold-looking metal bits that Hunk probably knew the names of. It all looked, not shiny and new but still well cared for. Damn, he should’ve paid more attention in English, he knew there must be a word for stuff like this but it was completely escaping him right now.

“Hi, Hunk!” a girl who looked about their age chirped as she stopped in front of them, her unevenly coloured skin jumping out at Keith before even her massive wooden earrings. “No Lance tonight?”

“Nah, Keith and I are on a date.” Hunk grinned, holding up the bouquet.

“Oh, so _this_ is the famous Keith.” the waitress’s eyes flicked over him, and after a second she beamed. “He’s just as cute as you keep saying.”

“Shaaay.” Hunk whined, and Keith ducked his head to hide the smile fighting to spread across his face.

“I did save you that booth you asked for.” the waitress said, and Keith followed Hunk through the gentle background chatter of the restaurant to their table. It was tucked back in the corner, almost private, and once Shay had left with their drink orders Keith let his mouth pull into a smile.

“You told her about me?” he asked, and Hunk set the bouquet on the table to better hide his face in his hands.

“Maybe a bit.” he mumbled.

“Cute.” Keith said after a moment, and Hunk whined.

“I’m not cute.”

“I have the cutest boyfriend.” Keith laughed, and Hunk kicked him in the shin.

“Lies and slander.” a smile pulled at his mouth, and when he rested his hand on the table Keith reached out to slide his own into it. “ _I_ have the cutest boyfriend.”

Keith laughed, and buried his face in his free hand. Stupid, adorable Hunk. How the hell had it taken him this long to realise he’d fallen in love?

“But seriously.” Hunk squeezed his hand, a gentle press of fingers Keith knew for certain were capable of snapping bone. “Do you wanna get appetizers or just go straight to entrees?”

Keith looked down at the menu in front of him, and flipped it open with his free hand. A lot of the things under the appetizers section sounded, really familiar actually. Huh, Hunk had probably brought them takeout from here a whole bunch of times. “Uh, we could get some kulcha?”

“You’re not gonna punch _me_ over it, are you?” Hunk teased, and Keith kicked him under the table even as a smile spread across his face.

“How about that and, uh, some chicken or paneer pakora?” Hunk suggested, using his free hand to point out the items in question. They both sounded pretty familiar.

“How about you choose.” he deferred, his stomach growling. “I haven’t actually eaten anything substantial yet today, so I’d just pick both.”

Hunk stared at him for a second, then released his hand and leaned across the table to flick the middle of his forehead. _Hard_.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For not asking me to bring you food on your break. You know I would’ve.”

“Yeah, but...” Keith trailed off, looking aside as Hunk’s hand settled over his on the table. Dammit, he’d hoped to avoid this type of stuff tonight. This was supposed to be their first date, their first actual time out together as a couple. It should be fun, something to make Hunk happy, not worried.

Hunk sighed heavily, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll talk about it later, alright?”

Keith nodded, and Hunk tugged on his hand.

“Good. Now get over here, I can’t kiss you across this table.”

He chuckled, and complied without complaint. He fit against Hunk’s side as easily as ever, but before the larger boy could do more than nuzzle his nose there was a sound from the end of the table.

“Aww, you two are adorable.”

Keith jerked away from Hunk reflexively at the interruption, but didn’t get far due to the heavy arm around his waist.

“Shaaay.” Hunk whined, and the waitress giggled as she set two glasses of water down in front of them.

“I do have a job to do, y’know.” she teased, flipping the tray up and tucking it under one arm with practiced ease. “Are you ready to order, or do you need a little more time?”

“We’re ready.” Hunk assured her, and Keith slowly relaxed into Hunk’s side as he ordered food for both of them. The entrees he picked out sounded unfamiliar, but not bad, and once Shay left Hunk leaned down to nuzzle at his cheek.

“Could we maybe do this later?” Keith asked, his voice coming out much smaller than he meant it to.

Hunk frowned, confusion pinching his brow, then his eyes flicked over the tables around them and he let out a soft ah of understanding. “Alright.” he loosened his arm around Keith’s waist, and didn’t reach for his hand again once he was re-seated on the other side of the booth. “So...” Hunk fiddled with the little paper ring that held his napkin around his silverware. “Later, do you wanna...” he looked up at Keith, shy and hopeful, and Keith’s heart lurched painfully in his chest as he realised what Hunk was getting at.

“Yes.” he said quickly, and Hunk grinned as he went back to fiddling with the napkin ring.

“Your place or mine?”

Keith opened his mouth, then shut it again with a small frown as he thought. “Mine, I think.” he said after a minute. “Shiro went out with some friends to celebrate something or other, he’s probably not going to be home until early tomorrow.”

“2AM early or 6AM early?”

Keith shrugged. “With his friends, it’s a toss-up.”

Hunk made a non-committal noise in response to that, and finally peeled the napkin ring off. “So, how was work today?”

“Busy.” Keith groaned, letting his head hang forwards. “We got a huge shipment, and the guy who was supposed to help unload it called in sick at the last second. Plus, like, half the town decided to come in during what’s _usually_ our slow time, so I had to keep running back up front to help people.”

“Damn.” Hunk laughed, and patted his shoulder. “But hey, at least it’s not minimum wage, right?”

Keith groaned, and Hunk laughed again.


End file.
